Method of producing fancy figures on textile material by mercerization



June 30, 1931. E G IND R. 1,811,846

IETHOD OF PRODUCING FANCY FIGURES 0N TEXTILE MATERIAL BY MERCERIZATION Filed March 11, 1927 JIZWE ZG I: ZiguZW/MZ Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A EMIL GMINDER, F REUTLINGEN, GERMANY METHOD OF PRODUCING FANCY FIGURES 0N TEXTILE MATERIAL BY MERCERIZATION v Application filed March 11, 1927, Serial No.

My invention relates to improvements in the method of producing fancy figures on textile material by mercerization. I

As is known tothose skilled in the art ofmercerizing crape appearance can be produced on the textile material by printing the mercerizing medium on the textile matter such for example as a fabric, without subjecting the same to tension, thus producing n shrinkage of the portions printed upon.

Further, it has been suggested to print fancy figures and the like by means of preserving media on the fabric, and thereafter to mercerize the said fabric as a whole. I have .5 discovered that an entirely new appearance can be produced by printing fancy figures and the like by means of a medium adapted to neutralize the mercerizing medium on the fabric while it is in stretched condition, and

.o thereafter permitting-shrinking of the fibre,

, a suitable neutralizlng medium being, for

example in case of alkaline mercerization, diluted hydrochloric acid.

A fabrlc is considered as completely mercerized when it is saturated with a caustic, then stretched and held in the stretched condition during the neutralization of the caustic. When a fabric is saturated with a caustic and stretched, but is neutralized not in the stretched condition but in a shrunken condition, the result is only a partial mercerization. The extent of the mercerizing also depends on the temperature of the caustic.

If the caustic when applied and while on the fabric during the stretching, is cooled to a low temperature, a partial mercerization takes place. On the other hand, if the caustic is cooled only slightly or not at all, then a correspondingly slight mercerizing action takes place. The neutralizing of the fabric in a stretched condition is essential for complete mercerization.

In carrying out my invention parts of the fabric are treated with caustic, stretched and neutralized in the stretched condition. These portions are therefore fully mercerized. Thereafter the stretching of the fabric is discontinued and the fabric is permitted to shrink and the remaining portions are neutralized in the shrunken condition. During 174,473, and in Germany March 1a, 1926.

this neutralizing, the portions which had previously been neutralized in stretched condition, are not influenced or changed. They remain fully mercerized, whereas the parts which are permitted to shrink before neutralizing are only partially mercerized.

The character and extent of coloring and also the density or campactness of the fabric, are dependent upon the extent of mercerizing, that is, upon whether the fabric is fully mercerized by neutralizing in stretched condition or only partly mercerized by neutralizing in shrunken condition. In the case of the full mercerizing, the fabric retains its original condition as to number of threads in the warp or woof for a given unit of area, whereas in the partial neutralized areas, that is, where shrinking is permitted before neutralization, the fabric no longer retains its original spacing of warp and woof, but becomes denser and more compact depending upon the extent of the shrinking. This shrinking however can be influenced by varying the extent of cooling of the caustic during the stretching and shrinking process.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an appartus suitable for putting the method into effect has been shown in a diagrammatical way in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is'a diagrammatical elevation of the apparatus, and, i k

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my improved process, the material to be mercerized, for example cotton fabric F is first impregnated with the mercerizing medium, and thereafter it is passed through a stretching apparatus which, in the example shown in the figures, consists of alternately arranged stretching rollers S and smooth cooling rollers K. While the fabric is still within the said stretching apparatus the desired figures or pattern. are printed upon it by means of diluted acid such for example as diluted hydrochloric acid, the said acid being applied to the fabric by means of printing rollers D. Thereby the mercerizing effect is fixed on the printed part of the fabric. After the mercerizing medium has thus been neutralized and the fabric has left the stretching apparatus, it may be passed over further cooling rollers such as S However, for this purpose rollers are used which have no stretching action, and which for this purpose have smooth surfaces, or which'are milled in opposite direction. Therefore the fabric is allowed to shrink and shrinking is even aided by the said rollers. Thus the fabric is shrunk in the direction of the weft threads. Theresignature.

EMIL GMINDER.

after the fabric is passed through rollers A.

The fabric must be passed through the machine while being under tension in the direction of the warp. Therefore the desired shrinking in the direction of the warp threads can be produced only by providing two pairs of rollers A and A for taking the fabric from the stretching machine, the pair of rollers A rotating at reduced velocity. Thus also shrinking in the direction of the warp is possible. Thereafter the fabric may be neutralized all over in the usual way.

In the foregoing description reference has been made to mercerizing the textile matter.

But I wish it to be understood that the said term includes not only the mercerizing process based on the use of alkaline matter, but any process of improving vegetable textile matter by' causing the fibre to swell. When using non-alkaline matter for causing such swelling of the fibre, other neutralizing media will'be necessary for printing the design on the fabric, which media will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The process of producing a design or fancy figures on vegetable fabrics which consists in impregnating the fabric with a caustic solution, putting the fabric under tension, neutralizing said medium at certain points while still under tension to produce the said design or fancy figures, thereafter releasing the tension to permit shrinking of the unneutralizing portions, and neutralizing said last mentioned portions while in shrunken condition.

2. The process of. producing a design or fancy figures on woven fabric which consists in impregnating the fabric with a medium adapted to cause a swelling of the fibres, cooling the fabric and stretching it, printing the desired design on the fabric by means of a neutralizing medium while the fabric is held in stretched condition, advancing the fabric and relieving the stretching action, and continuing the advance of the fabric at reduced speed whereby shrinking may take place.

3. The herein described process of producing a design or fancy figures on vegetable woven fabric which consists in impregnating the fabric with a medium adapted to cause swelling of the fibres, stretching the fabric and simultaneously cooling the same, print ing on the fabric the desired design by means of a neutralizing agent, advancing the fabric while permitting in the direction 

